Meta is stepping up its efforts to bring AI tools to its social media platforms, and its latest venture down the AI rabbit hole involves bringing generative AI images to Instagram Stories.
Meta’s Vice President of Generative AI at Meta, Ahmad Al-Dahle, announced the new AI tool on Threads, Meta’s alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter). The feature is currently being rolled out in the US, and right now there’s no word as to when this tool will be available to Instagram users in other countries.
The new feature allows users to reimagine their Instagram Stories by generating AI backdrops to enhance images. On the Stories camera (just a swipe right on the home page in the app) a new icon will appear next to the existing ‘add text’ button, which users can tap to generate a new backdrop by entering prompts such as ‘Surrounded by puppies’ and ‘On the edge of an erupting volcano’, if you’re feeling adventurous.
Once you’ve shared your AI creations, a ‘Try it’ sticker will show on your Story, making it easier for your followers to use the editing tool for the first time.
Meta has introduced various AI-based features across its social media platforms as it looks to play catch-up to the likes of Google and ChatGPT – and by the looks of it, the company doesn’t plan on slowing down the pace of its AI innovation any time soon.
Back in September at Meta Connect 2023, new image editing and generating tools in Instagram were among several AI-related initiatives announced by the company, and generative backdrops in Stories is the first of these to see the light of day.
That was just the tip of the AI iceberg at Connect, as Meta also unveiled Gen AI Personas – its answer to ChatGPT. Aimed at its younger users, Meta’s AI chatbots – which are currently being rolled out in the US in beta across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – take the form of celebrity personas including Kendall Jenner, Paris Hilton, and even a bot inspired by Bender from Futurama.